How to Build a Network on LinkedIn

How to build a network on Linkedin was originally written by Hubspot.

Step #1: Commit that each Wednesday, you’ll connect with 5 current or former business associates. When you connect with people, you and your business jumps to the top of their mind. When that happens, they remember you when someone needs the product or service you provide. Connecting = Top of Mind = Leads.

Step #2: Over the course of 30 days, join 17 Groups. Why 17? Because it’s not 2 or 3, which is the number most people join. Your goal is to spread your visibility online and the best way to do that is by joining 17 Groups, not just 2 or 3.

Step #3: Start a discussion in each new Group every day for 5 days after you join them. After doing it for 5 days, you’ll have made a few new friends in the group. If possible and appropriate, your discussion should include a link back to your website so people can download a white paper or sign up for your e-newsletter. When they download your white paper or sign up for your e-newsletter, you’ve captured their data so you can re-market to them in the future. (For more information on this technique, visit the HubSpot blog, which is packed with tips about this.)

Step #4: Go to the Answers section and answer 2 questions a week consistently. The trick here isn’t to answer a ton of questions all at once. The trick is to answer 2 a week consistently. Also, keep in mind that turning Answers into leads is a long- term strategy. It may take 5 Answers to generate a lead or it may take 25 or 50. The key is to stay at it consistently over the long haul.

Step #5: Create a DirectAd. The key here is to have a landing page on your website where you can sell something direct or collect people’s contact information when they sign up for something you’re offering. If you’ve already got a landing page on your site, go into the DirectAd function and create an ad for it. It’s surprisingly simple and might only take you about 30 minutes to an hour to write.

Step #6: Add applications on your Profile Page. If you’re interested in making your Profile Page as engaging as it can possibly be, then you’ll want to add a bunch of applications to it. The Reading List by Amazon and the WordPress applications are two of the best and most popular. But don’t stop there — take a look around and add your favorites.

Step #7: Rinse and repeat the above steps. The key to making LinkedIn work is consistency. Don’t believe anyone who tells you it’s easy or that you can get rich quick doing it. The secret is to be there consistently so that you can build up a following and an audience. Once that happens, you’ll have a steady stream of inbound leads.

These 7 steps are designed to get you started with LinkedIn. As you take a deeper dive into this platform, you’ll find nooks and crannies that can help you improve your results. The key is to execute these fundamentals over and over again. As you do, your results will start to snowball, and that’s what it’s all about.